Lifting device



Oct. 17, 1950 I J, ROT OLLO 2,526,085

LIFTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 8, 1947 //v vz/vro/e. LAws/vcsd. RoToLLo BY HIS ATTORNEY-S.

g/ARR/S, K/ECH, FOSTER & HARRIS ployed for during the lifting thereof.

, It is an object of my invention toprovide a ing device of the tong or jaw type having rela- Patentecl Oct. 17,

UNITED STATES PATENT 7 OFFICE LIFTING DEVICE Laurence J. Rotollo, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 8, 1947, Serial No. 767,390

4 Claims. (01. 294 -118} My invention relates to lifting devices emlifting various objects and particularly to a device of the tong type having pivoted jaws provided with gage the opposite sides .of an object to be lifted. Specifically, the invention pertains to a lifting device of this character having means adapted to engage under a peripheral flange on the object to be lifted so as'to adequately support the object Lifting devices of the tong type are usually provided with prongs at the ends of their pivoted levers or jaws, these prongs being adapted to bite into the sides ofa wooden or like object to be lifted or to at least engage withthe same during the lifting operation. Such devices are commonly employed for lifting cylindricalv ob jects such as wooden-barrels and operate quite points or prongs adapted to en-' jaws, these means being adapted to embrace the .peripheryof a barrel and to engage beneath a peripheral flange disposed adjacent the end of the barrel so as to afford adequate bearing contact and more positive gripping of the barrel to prevent release thereof during the lifting and lowering operations. By this means, damaging of the barrel or drum is avoided and, because the supporting means have no sharp edges apt to become dull and ineffective, the supporting means will last indefinitely.

It is desirable that alifting device be adapted for use in lifting both wooden and metal obj cts successfully when the barrel is lifted with its axis disposed horizontally and the prongs engagethe periphery of the barrel belowthe' center thereof. However, considerable difliculty is experienced when the prongs are engaged beneath a peripheral flange or hoop at the end of the barrel due to the fact that the prongs provide merely con- ,tact points and afford very little engagement surface and thus are apt to lose their hold on the object, particularly when the object.- swings' or ,strikes other objects during theliftingand subsequent lowering operation.

7 It has also been determined. that when such lifting devices are used to lift steel barrels or drums, the prongs often become blunt or otherwise damaged to render them ineffective. Moreover, when the prongs are relatively sharp they .sometimes'puncture the relatively thin sides of the steel drum, causing leakage of its contents."

It is apparent, therefore, that while tong-type lifting devices having object-engaging prongs are quite suitable for lifting wooden boxes, crates; barrels and similar containers and objects they are quite unsatisfactory for use in lifting metal containers for the reasons stated above. g

lifttively wide object-engaging and supporting means so as to effect adequate engagement be and to meet this prerequisite, my invention provides a device which employs prongs for use when lifting wooden objects and curved supporting plates when metal objects are'to be lifted. It is an important object in this respect to provide curved supporting means which may be detachably mounted on the device and these-means are, preferablygheld in placeby the prongs without screws, bolts or other fastening means so that they can be quickly and easily attached to and detached from the tongs or jaws.

Further objects of my invention will be apparent from the following specification and from the drawing, which is intended for illustration only, and in which:

. Fig. 1 is a side elevational viewofmy improved lifting device, showing it applied to use in ing a metal barrel or drum;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same; Fig. '3 is a bottom view of the device; Fig. 4'is an enlarged perspective view of the lower portion of one side of the lifting device, showing the. supporting plate as ,disconnected "from the tong or jawyand lift- Fig. :5 isa fragmentary side view'of the lower "portion of thedevice with the supporting plates removedand illustrating the manner in which an object is lifted by means of the prongs.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my improved lifting device includes, a pair of curved tong-levers 8 and 9 which are pivoted together .in crossingrelation by.means of a rivet-l0 or other suitable means. The upper ends of the crossing levers 8 and 9 have holes through which the end links of a pairof chains II and I2 are looped, the chains being joined at their other ends by a large ring 13 through which the hook 3 of a lifting chain or cable of a hoisting apparatus (not shown) may be inserted. The pivotal arrangement of the levers 8 and 9 is such that when the device is suspended from the chains I l and 12 the lower jaw portions i5 and I6 of the levers will be pivoted toward each other.

Formed integral with or secured to the lower extremities of the jaw portions I5 and [6 by welding or other rneans are inverted U-shaped extensions H providing spaced legs I8, the extensions being arranged at right-angles to the plane of the tong levers 8 and 9. Welded or otherwise secured to the lower ends of the legs 18 are cylindrical pins or prongs 20 which are beveled to provide relatively sharp points at their ends. The prongs 25] of the opposite extensions H are directed inwardly toward each other so as to adapt them to engage the opposite sides of an object to be lifted, such engagement being indicated in Fig. 5 where the prongs are shown as contacting the periphery of a wooden barrel 22 below the center thereof. As the lifting device is raised, the prongs 2U bite into the wooden barrel with considerable force and the barrel is lifted in a well known manner.

As-thus far described, the lifting device'issimilar to conventional tong-type lifting devices now sed for lifting various types of containers and other objects, particularly those of wooden con-' struction. As previously mentioned, the present invention provides means for adapting the lifting device for use in lifting metal barrels, drums and the like which the prongs cannot effectively grip or which might be punctured by the penetration of the prongs. The invention is concerned primarily with means for adapting the lifting device to support and lift a sheet steel barrel or drum in the direction of its axis. In its preferred construction, this means consists of a pair of arcuate plates 2:! and 25 of any desirable length and width. To the outer convex surface of each supporting plate 2 and 25 is welded a pair of mounting tubes 26 which are so spaced and of such size as to adapt them to pins or prongs 20.

When the lifting device is to be used for lifting a steel barrel, such as indicated at 27 in the drawing, the supporting plates 2 and 25 are applied to the jaw portions i 5 and it of the tong levers 8 and 9 by merely sliding their tubes 26 onto theprongs 2c as shown bestin Fig. 3. I desired, aligned holes may be provided in the prongs and tubes through which a cotter pin or other means may be inserted to, retain the supporting plates in place. To lift the barrel 22', which may be resting upon floor with its axis vertically disposed, the jaw portions i5 and It are moved apart to permit the supporting plates 24 and .25 to embrace the periphery of the barrel. The plates 2 and 25 are positioned beneath a peripheral flange 28 adjacent the upper end of the barrel as shown in Fig. 1. As the lifting device is raised by the hoisting-apparatus the supporting plates 2 and will engage firmly with the periphery of the barrel and, since the upper edges of the plates form seats upon which the flange 28 rests, the barrel is effectively supported by the device and may be lifted without danger of sliding out of the lifting device. I v 7 It is seen the foregoing that the present improved lifting device is adaptable for use in lifting many types of shipping containers and other objects. As a particular feature of improvement,

the invention provides means whereby the device may be readily converted from-a type suitable for he slid onto the cylindrical lifting wooden objects to a type capable of lifting metal objects. The curved supporting and lifting plates may be formed integral with the jaws of the device but preferably they are made as separate elements adapted to be conveniently applied as an attachment to the lifting jaws.

While I have herein shown and described the improved. lifting device as embodied in a preferred form of construction and applied to use in a particular manner, it will be apparent that various modifications might be made in the structure and that device might be applied to use in other Ways, without departing from the spirit of the invention. Consequently I do not wish to be limited in this respect but desire to be afforded the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A lifting device adapted to lift a circular object having a peripheral flange, comprising: a pair of levers pivotally connected in crossing relationship, each of said levers having at its lower end an inverted, U-shaped extension providing spaced depending legs disposed in a plane normal to the plane of said levers, said legs having circular lugs at their lower ends, the lugs of each extension being directed inwardly toward the lugs of the other extension; and a pair of arcuate supporting plates each detachably mounted on and extending between said lugs of said legs of each extension and adapted to embrace the periphery of and to engage beneath the annular flange of the circular object to li t the object upon inward pivotal movement of the lower ends of said levers and upward movement of the device.

2. A lifting device adapted to lift a circular object having a peripheral flange, comprising; a pair of levers pivotally connected in crossing relationship, each of said levers having at its lower end an inverted, U-shaped extension providing spaced depending legs disposed in a plane normal to the plane of said levers, said legs having circular lugs at their lower ends, the lugs of each extension being directed inwardly toward the lugs of the other extension; and a pair of arcuate supporting plates each provided with tubular mounting portions adapted to be slid over said lugs of each extension to detachably mount said supporting-plates on said extensions, said plates being adapted to embrace the periphery of and to engage beneath the annular fiangeofthe circular object to lift the object upon inward pivotal movement of the lower ends of said levers and upward movement of the device.

3. A lifting device adapted to either articles of different shapes or a circular object having an annular flange, comprising: a pair of levers pivotally connected in crossing relationship, each of said levers having at its lower end an inverted,

'U-shaped extension providing spaced depending legs disposed in a plane normal to the plane of said levers, said legs having circular lugs at their lower ends, the lugs of each extension being directed inwardly toward the lugs of the other extension and pointed at their inner ends to adapt them to engage the sides of the article to belifted;

and a pair of arcuate supporting plates each provided with tubularmounting portions adapted to be slid; over said lugs of each of said extensions to detachably 'mount said supporting plates on said extensions, said plates being adapted to embrace the periphery of and to engage beneath the annular flange of the circular object to lift the object upon inward pivotal movement of the lower ends of said levers and upward movement of the device.

4. A lifting device adapted to lift a circular object having a peripheral flange, comprising: a pair of curved levers connected in crossing relationship, each of said levers having at its lower end an inverted, U-shaped extension providing depending legs disposed in a plane normal to the plane of said levers; arcuate supporting plates; and interengaging means on said plates and said legs for detachably mounting said plates on said legs, said plates extending between said legs and being adapted to embrace the periphery of and to engage beneath the annular flange of the circular object to lift the object upon inward pivotal movement of the lower ends of said levers and upward movement of the device.

LAURENCE J1ROTOLLO.

" REFERENCES-CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: V

UNITED STATES PATENT 10 Number Name Date 363,744 Hopkins May 24, 1887 1,256,408 Weedon et a1 Feb. 12, 1918 1,493,362 Martelli May 6, 1924 1,511,299 Putnam Oct. 14, 1924 

